E. Wayne Blake Brattleboro, Vermont Obituary

E. Wayne Blake

Brattleboro – E. Wayne Blake, of South Street in West Brattleboro, died Tuesday morning, November 24, 2020 at home at the age of 83. He was born in May 1937 in Bradford, Vt., the son of Merlin and Elinor (Allen) Blake, and graduated from People Academy in Morrisville, Vt. He furthered his education at the Massachusetts Radio and Telegraph School in Boston, Mass., earning his certification as a Radio Technician. He owned and operated a TV & Appliance business in Bradford and also worked with Berkshire Life Insurance Company (later Guardian Life when the companies merged). He excelled and remained there for the rest of his professional career, retiring from Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed spending weekends and family vacations at his camp in Fairlee, Vt., as well as hunting and fishing there. Wayne and his many hunting buddies spent almost every deer season trying to bag the biggest buck by day, then playing cards or cribbage in the evenings, all the while telling tall tales of the ones that got away or were just a little too far off to take a decent shot. He still holds the camp record for the largest buck taken. His love of animals of all kinds from his childhood was clear from the many pets he had, one being his best buddy, “Braddie”, his cocker spaniel that passed just shortly before him. Wayne loved children and coached youth baseball and other sports as all his boys grew up over the years, introducing them to every type of sport, and shared his love of hunting and fishing with them as well. He was a long time Mason and Shriner. He received his 50 Year Pin last year with the Masons. He was chairman of the Shrine Monday Night BINGO, where he and many volunteers raised money for the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. A member of the Elks and past member of the Lions Club, Wayne truly enjoyed people and sharing a joke or laugh with everyone he met or knew and was regaling his family with funny recollections and stories (making all of us laugh) even to the very end. Wayne is survived by his wife of 38 years, Barbara (Greenwood)(Robinson) Blake. He is also survived by his sons, Mike Blake (wife Laurie) of Port St. Lucie, Fla., Mark Blake (wife Kelly) of Hockessin, Del., and Jackson Kidder (wife Carolyn) of Raleigh, N.C.; three grandchildren, Sarah, Kruce and Jacob, all of Florida; two step-sons, Jeffrey and Steven Robinson of Brattleboro, whom he loved and treated as his own; six step-grandchildren and 13 step great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Janice Blake; nephews, Jeffrey and Christopher Blake; and niece, Bonnie Blake, all from the Bradford area. He is predeceased by his parents, brother, Graham Blake, and step-daughter, Sherry (Robinson) Hardy. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 516 Carew St., Springfield, MA 01104. A memorial service will be held at a later date, to be announced.
November 24, 202011/24/2020
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Brattleboro – E. Wayne Blake, of South Street in West Brattleboro, died Tuesday morning, November 24, 2020 at home at the age of 83. He was born in May 1937 in Bradford, Vt., the son of Merlin and Elinor (Allen) Blake, and graduated from People Academy in Morrisville, Vt. He furthered his education at the Massachusetts Radio and Telegraph School in Boston, Mass., earning his certification as a Radio Technician. He owned and operated a TV & Appliance business in Bradford and also worked with Berkshire Life Insurance Company (later Guardian Life when the companies merged). He excelled and remained there for the rest of his professional career, retiring from Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed spending weekends and family vacations at his camp in Fairlee, Vt., as well as hunting and fishing there. Wayne and his many hunting buddies spent almost every deer season trying to bag the biggest buck by day, then playing cards or cribbage in the evenings, all the while telling tall tales of the ones that got away or were just a little too far off to take a decent shot. He still holds the camp record for the largest buck taken. His love of animals of all kinds from his childhood was clear from the many pets he had, one being his best buddy, “Braddie”, his cocker spaniel that passed just shortly before him. Wayne loved children and coached youth baseball and other sports as all his boys grew up over the years, introducing them to every type of sport, and shared his love of hunting and fishing with them as well. He was a long time Mason and Shriner. He received his 50 Year Pin last year with the Masons. He was chairman of the Shrine Monday Night BINGO, where he and many volunteers raised money for the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. A member of the Elks and past member of the Lions Club, Wayne truly enjoyed people and sharing a joke or laugh with everyone he met or knew and was regaling his family with funny recollections and stories (making all of us laugh) even to the very end. Wayne is survived by his wife of 38 years, Barbara (Greenwood)(Robinson) Blake. He is also survived by his sons, Mike Blake (wife Laurie) of Port St. Lucie, Fla., Mark Blake (wife Kelly) of Hockessin, Del., and Jackson Kidder (wife Carolyn) of Raleigh, N.C.; three grandchildren, Sarah, Kruce and Jacob, all of Florida; two step-sons, Jeffrey and Steven Robinson of Brattleboro, whom he loved and treated as his own; six step-grandchildren and 13 step great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Janice Blake; nephews, Jeffrey and Christopher Blake; and niece, Bonnie Blake, all from the Bradford area. He is predeceased by his parents, brother, Graham Blake, and step-daughter, Sherry (Robinson) Hardy. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 516 Carew St., Springfield, MA 01104. A memorial service will be held at a later date, to be announced.

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Shriner's Hospital for Children
516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104
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